Some time back, I coined a phrase: “Cheat the mind.”

Here’s the science behind it.

Whenever we try to break an addiction and find it difficult, it is often because our subconscious mind—or what we may call our brain’s circuitry and memory—triggers a cascade of emotional responses that prompt us to seek the very thing we are trying to avoid.

I began experimenting with a simple question: Does the subconscious actually understand quantity? In other words, does it need a specific amount to feel satisfied, or is the amount largely irrelevant?

Whether it is alcohol, smoking, junk food, social media, television, repeatedly checking the phone, or any other habit, addictions operate through a similar mechanism. Repetitive behaviours become embedded in our neural circuitry, and over time the brain keeps reminding us of them.

What I observed was interesting. The subconscious mind does not seem to keep a precise account of quantity or duration.

If you have a habit of checking your phone every few minutes, simply picking up the phone may satisfy the circuitry. The brain is not particularly concerned about whether there is actually a new notification waiting. After all, very little changes within a minute.

Likewise, if you drink alcohol every day and are accustomed to four pegs, the mind does not necessarily distinguish whether those pegs are 30 ml or 60 ml. The same applies to smoking. The circuitry seems more concerned with lighting the cigarette than whether you consume 70% of it or finish it completely.

My “cheat the mind” philosophy was built on this premise.

Using this approach, I not only reduced my own alcohol intake but also helped many others reduce theirs. A few individuals who spent extended periods with me later admitted that they never realised how much they had cut down. They consumed significantly less alcohol while still feeling that they had enjoyed their drink.

Fast forward to the present.

Interestingly, the concept of Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training appears to be doing something remarkably similar to cheating the mind.

An inflatable cuff is wrapped around the upper arm or thigh to partially restrict blood flow leaving the muscle while exercising with only 20–30% of maximum load. Blood continues to enter the muscle, but its exit is restricted.

As a result, lactate, hydrogen ions, and other metabolites accumulate within the muscle, creating conditions similar to those experienced after a brutal high-repetition set taken close to failure.

This metabolite build-up activates many of the same muscle-growth pathways associated with heavy resistance training:

  • Activation of the mTOR pathway, the master regulator of protein synthesis
  • Increased growth hormone and IGF-1 release
  • Muscle protein synthesis exceeding muscle protein breakdown

The fascinating part is that the weights are light enough that the joints experience far less stress, yet many of the key physiological signals associated with heavy lifting are still triggered.

In a sense, restricted blood flow convinces the brain and the body that the muscle is working under tremendous stress. The resulting cascade of responses resembles what would normally occur under much heavier loads.

Again, the system is, in a way, cheating the mind, eliciting a response that would ordinarily require a completely different situation.

And it doesn’t stop there…

A well-visualised and deeply manifested thought or dream can trigger the brain to release the same hormonal interactions as if the experience were real. The neural networks light up. The chemistry follows. The body responds to the pattern, not just to external reality.

Whether it’s shrinking the dose while keeping the ritual, restricting blood flow to fake heavy training, or using vivid mental imagery to produce real physiological change, the common thread remains the same: the mind (and body) can often be convinced by the signature of an experience more than by its full objective magnitude.

Throughout my book, I explore many such associations, showing how seemingly unrelated phenomena often reveal a deeper interconnectedness when viewed through a holistic lens.

https://www.amazon.in/dp/9356266271

–